His birth parents are unmarried college students who already have an 18-month-old and are struggling. They have each left us with notes to be shown to Jackie one day, and they are full of love and regret, but also hope.

His foster parents, whom Erin and Jeff met, also sent along a letter assuring us this baby has been prayed for, hugged, snuggled, rocked, sung to, cuddled, and loved every minute of his little life.

It shows. He's a calm baby, never fusses unless he needs feeding or a diaper change. He isn't fretful or fearful or anxious, just the picture of peace.

Sydney, 5, has been literally hopping up and down with joy since Friday. When she first saw his pictures, she had a moment of doubt; she said, "I would be sad if I had skin that dark." But when we went to pick him up, she said, "He's much cuter in person than in his pictures," which is true, and she was full of kisses and wanted to hold him, and was allowed to, with my help, for a moment.

The telephones (landline and cell phones) haven't stopped ringing. A few neighbors came over last night. Looking out the front door, Sydney said, "I see my friend coming! Logan is coming. Come on, Logan, hurry! Are you ready to see someone a different color? He's my brother!"

Her only other remark re race, so far, was, "Mommy, I bet if he had come out of your tummy, he'd have skin like ours."

Well, it's true, adoption is not the natural way to acquire children, although it can be a wonderful way.

And there's no doubt it all takes some getting used to, and nobody here is pretending otherwise. I don't think it'll take very long, though. Jackson had already won our hearts before we met him, and now that we have, we're all head over heels in love.

Sydney wore her new button to kindergarten today. It just says, "Sister."

Your comments made me think of a favorite comic by Family Circus: the children see their mom in the neighbor's yard adoring a new baby. Dolly explains to her little brothers, "We came from mommy's tummy, but Joseph is adopted so he came from his mommy's heart."